A letter from Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury (1093)

Translated letter:

Anselm, servant of the servants of god, called archbishop: to the countess Ida,(1) to be revered and loved for the merit of her life, wishing that she may so serve god in this life that she may deserve to reign with god in the life to come. I know and am sure, lady dearest to me in God, most beloved sister, sweetest daughter, that your holy love, by which you ever embrace me reverently and affectionately in your heart as if I, your spiritual father, were present, ceaselessly desires to know everything about me and all that concerns me, and also to hear or to read something from me, in order that you may rejoice or suffer with me(2) according to the rule of true charity. Indeed, to this love of yours my heart replies with like affection. Since, however, it is not now appropriate to tell in a letter what has happened to me this year or how my heart has supported it, and Dom Rainer,(3) our beloved friend, your cleric, has seen many things for himself and learned even more from what I related, I have requested him to inform you personally, in his own words, of what he knows about matters, private or public, concerning me, as he admits that he was sent by your reverence for this very purpose. And since, most beloved daughter of mine in God, I learned for certain long ago that your heart gladly receives my admonitions, and I remember that you entrusted your soul entirely to my care, it is necessary for me to add something for your encouragement. My dearest friend in God, the Lord says: "Many are called, but few are chosen."(4) Therefore, never feel confident that you are to be reckoned among the chosen until you live in such a way that there are few with whom your life ought to be compared. And when you recognize that you are among the few, go on being fearful, because there will still be doubt as to whether you are among the chosen few until you see yourself among those few about whose election there remains no doubt. For he who says: "few are chosen" certainly did not say how few, so that however much we may regard ourselves to be making progress we must always consider that we have only reached the beginning of our progress. Therefore I exhort and advise my daughter, who has entrusted herself to my advice, that her endeavor towards living a good life, which she once undertook should not grow weak but, as if starting daily, should increase in fervor from day to day. May almighty God mercifully absolve you from all your sins and bless you forever, and as far as divine grace grants me, you will always hve my absolution and blessing. Amen.(5)

Original letter:

Anselmus, servus servorum dei, vocatus archiepiscopus: reverendae et diligendae vitae merito comitissae Idae sic in hac vita deo servire, ut in futura mereatur cum deo regnare. Scio et certus sum, domina mihi in deo carissima, soror dilectissima, filia dulcissima, quia sancta tua dilectio, qua me semper in corde tuo praesentem quasi patrem spiritualem reverenter et delectabiliter amplecteris, incessanter desiderat ea quae de me et erga me sunt cognoscere et ex mea parte aliquid audire aut legere, quatenus mihi secundum verae caritatis regulam congaudeat aut compatiatur. Cui tuae dilectioni cor meum utique simili respondet affectu. Quoniam ergo et per epistolam congruum non est narrare nunc, quae de me facta sunt hoc anno sive qualiter cor meum illa sustineat, et domnus Rainerius, dilectus amicus noster, clericus vester, multa per se vidit et plura me narrare didicit: illum precatus sum, ut ea quae de me interius et exterius cognovit, sicut qui ad hoc ipsum se a vestra reverentia missum fatetur, viva voce vivis vocibus notificet. Et quoniam iam olim certissime expertus sum, filia in deo mihi dilectissima, monita mea cor tuum delectabiliter suscipere atque animam tuam te curae meae penitus commisisse memini, aliquid necesse est quod ad exhortationem tuam pertineat subiungere. Amica carissima in deo, dominus dixit: "Multi sunt vocati, pauci veto electi." Numquam ergo secura sis te inter electos debere computari, donec ita vivas ut pauci sint, quibus vita tua debeat comparari. Et cum te in numero paucorum esse cognoveris, adhuc time, quia adhuc dubium erit si inter paucos electos fueris, donec te de illis paucis videas, de quorum electione nulla manet dubietas. Qui enim dixit: "pauci" sunt "electi," non utique dixit quam pauci, ut quantumcumque nobis videamur profecisse, semper iudicemus nos nondum nisi ad initium proficiendi pervenisse. Hortor igitur et consulo filiae meae, quae se meo commisit consilio, ut bene vivendi studium, quod olim incepit, nullatenus languescat, sed, quasi cotidie incipiat, per singulos dies fervescat. Omnipotens deus ab omnibus peccatis te clementer absolvat et benedicat in aeternum, et quantum mihi divina gratia concedit, meam semper habeas absolutionem et benedictionem. Amen.

Historical context:

Anselm, now archbishop, knowing the countess's interest in him, sends his news orally through her messenger, and reminds her once again that one can never rest in the pursuit of virtue, that few are chosen.

Scholarly notes:

(1) See Ep 82. (2) See 1 Co 12:26. (3) This Rainer and the Reiner of Ep 235 may be one and the same person. Ep 235 was taken by Reiner to King Baldwin of Jerusalem, the son of countess Ida, in the summer 1101 or 1102, see J.F.A. Mason, "St Anselm's Relations with Laymen," in Spicilegium Beccense 1 (Paris, 1959) 557-558. (4) Mt 22:14. (5) The translation is reproduced with the permission of the translator and the publisher, Cistercian Publications Inc. Editorial Offices, Institute of Cistercian Studies, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008. All rights are reserved; downloading and copying for any purpose other than private research is prohibited.

Printed source:

Sancti Anselmi Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi, Opera Omnia, ed. F.S. Schmitt (Edinburgh: T. Nelson, 1946-63), ep.167, 4.41-42; translation and annotation from The Letters of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, trans. Walter Fröhlich, Cistercian Studies 97, 3v (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990-94), 2.62-64.

Date:

1093